Remote communities reap health and safety benefits
It can take two plane trips or a helicopter ride, plus a ferry to reach some of Queensland’s most remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The tyranny of distance, Far North Queensland’s wet season, drought conditions and lack of public or charter transport play havoc with anyone wanting to visit these communities.
But that hasn’t stopped Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) staff from delivering information, services and resources to the isolated communities.
In 2002 WHSQ initiated the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pilot project Working Safely Together to work closely with communities, councils, organisations and indviduals throughout Queensland to provide up-to-date training, information and advisory services to create safer, fairer and more productive workplaces.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Program was established in late 2005 and is currently coordinating the “Training Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Councils Project”. This is a major project involving up to 12 key training staff from regional offices delivering training to some of the most remote and isolated communities, including the outer islands of the Torres Strait and the Gulf Country in far west North Queensland.
A specifically designed training program was developed to create
awareness among Councillors, Chief Executive Officers and line
managers. This training initiative reinforces the previous
successful pilot Working Safely Together project and also
encourages a collaborative approach between WHSQ and the
communities to build awareness and enhance management
practices for workplace health and safety.
WHSQ staff delivered the two day workplace health and safety awareness training session to the councils and community organisations throughout Queensland covering major components of the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 (PDF, 766 KB) including:
- legislation
- policies and procedures
- obligations
- workplace health and safety officers
- risk management and control.
From mid-2006 to December 2007 the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Program training team delivered the workplace health and
safety awareness training to 29 of the 34 Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Councils throughout Queensland. Dates are currently
being confirmed for training at the remaining communities.
Last updated 22 July 2008